Denver Broncos Rumors: Will Team Trade For Another Offensive Tackle?

By Andrew Fisher

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos got some terrible news on Wednesday when they learned that Ryan Clady will miss the rest of the season. The Pro Bowl left tackle will likely need surgery to repair the lisfranc injury he suffered in week two. The Broncos have already taken action to account for the loss of Clady, as they inked free agent Winston Justice. They also moved backup tackle Chris Clark into Clady’s old position on the left side of the line. But the question all Broncos’ fans are asking – is it enough?

Clark has only started six games during his career and Justice has always played right tackle. Maybe between the two of them they can fill Clady’s shoes, but I’m wondering if the Broncos might look to the market for some more help. While trades aren’t all that common in the NFL, desperate times call for desperate measures.

So who could the Broncos target in a potential trade?

One name that comes to mind is Jacksonville Jaguars‘ left tackle Eugene Monroe. The 26-year old has been a career-long starter in Jacksonville and he just so happens to be in the last year of his contract. Only two weeks into the season, it’s pretty clear the Jaguars are headed for another last place finish in the AFC South. Heck, some are even wondering if they’ll win a single game. So you would hope that a team of that caliber is already looking ahead to the future. What better way to plan for the future than to stock pile draft picks?

Monroe could possibly land the Jags a second round pick in 2014, which is certainly better than the alternative of him walking away as a free agent. On top of that, you have to believe they eventually want to move Luke Joeckel over to he left side of the line where he’s used to playing.

This scenario might be a bit far-fetched, but stranger things have happened. The Broncos have enough to get by without Clady, but they’re not a team just trying to get by. They’re a team trying to win it all.